NCHU Course Outline

Course Name	(中) 飲食與文化(1902)
	(Eng.) Food and Culture
Offering Dept	College of Liberal Arts
Course Type	Required	Credits	1	Teacher	LIN KEN AN
Department	College of Liberal Arts	Language	English	Semester	2026-FALL
Course Description	This course uses food as an academic lens to explore the intersection of globalization, capitalism, and local cultures, taking students on a historical and culinary journey across Japan and the United States. The course is divided into two core modules. The first half of the semester focuses on Japan, examining how high-end Western cuisine underwent popularization and localization (Localization & Glocalization) after Emperor Meiji lifted the millennium-long meat ban, ultimately integrating with the Japanese "soul of rice" to birth unique "Wafu Yoshoku" (Japanese-style Western food) such as Sukiyaki, Tonkatsu, and Naporitan pasta . The second half shifts to the US in the 20th century, analyzing how fast-food giants and major food processors like McDonald's, KFC, and Pizza Hut built global fast-food empires and capitalist food cultures through Fordist assembly-line standardization, franchise systems, and extreme commercial marketing (e.g., cross-brand collaborations and children's toy tie-ins) . Through this course, students will critically deconstruct the power dynamics, gender politics, and commercial logic behind daily food consumption.
Prerequisites				self-directed learning in the course	Y

Relevance of Course Objectives and Core Learning Outcomes(%)			Teaching and Assessment Methods for Course Objectives
Course Objectives	Competency Indicators	Ratio(%)	Teaching Methods	Assessment Methods
Understand the process of "Glocalization" in food: Using the development of the Japanese diet from the Meiji Restoration to the Showa era as a case study, analyze how foreign foods (e.g., French stews, American hamburgers) adapted to local staple food habits and cultures, transforming into localized classic dishes . Analyze the political economy of food and capitalist logic: Understand how assembly line production, formula standardization, and franchise systems facilitated the global expansion of American fast-food and food industry giants . Cultivate critical thinking and media literacy: Deconstruct how food commercial marketing shapes public consumer behavior. For example, exploring how "traditional culture" is commercially constructed (like eating eel on the Day of the Ox) , and how the fast-food industry utilizes pop culture, children's marketing, and gender objectification (e.g., the Hooters controversy) to drive consumption . Develop cross-cultural observation and oral communication skills: Apply theories of food anthropology and sociology to analyze consumption phenomena and cultural flows in daily life through independent observation and oral audio presentations (podcasts).			Networking/Distance Education Discussion Other Lecturing	Written Presentation Attendance Oral Presentation Assignment Other
Course Content and Homework/Schedule/Tests Schedule
Week Course Content Week 1 Introduction; Lifting the Meat Ban & Civilization and Enlightenment Week 2 Localization of High-End Western Cuisine Week 3 Popularization of Yoshoku Week 4 Post-war Aid & Food Dumping Week 5 Local Adaptation of Multinational Brands Week 6 Invented Traditions Week 7 Modern Food Industrialization Week 8 Midterm Review & Sharing Week 9 Fordism & Standardization Week 10 Franchise & Brand IP Week 11 Pop Culture & Cross-Brand Collaborations Week 12 Capitalist Logic of Selling Happiness Week 13 War Rations & Global Expansion Week 14 American Exotic Cuisine Week 15 Gender Politics & Food Consumption Week 16 Final Micro-Exhibition Sharing self-directed learning    02.Viewing multimedia materials related to industry and academia.    03.Preparing presentations or reports related to industry and academia.
Evaluation
Participation (15%): Attendance and contribution to weekly ”Food vs. Culture” discussions. Self-study Assignment: Food & Culture Oral Presentation (25%): Task 1: Discovering Hybrid Flavors in Life: My "Wafu Yoshoku" Observation Report Task 2: Decoding the Fast Food Empire: A Critique of Capitalism and Marketing Midterm Project (30%): An essay analyzing how The Sinners reflects American ”Small Town Paranoia.” Final Project (30%): A group video or presentation on ”The Concept of ’Home’ in 80s Hong Kong Cinema.”
Textbook & other References
Self-made Materials by the lecturer
Teaching Aids & Teacher's Website
Microsoft Office PPT, Generative AIs, Digital Handouts, Websites & Links
Office Hours
Please contact by email: gensosuikogaiden@yahoo.com.tw
Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs(Link URL)
include experience courses：N

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Update Date, year/month/day：2026/07/27 10:42:37	Printed Date, year/month/day：2026 / 8 / 18
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